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Sunday, February 1, 2009

She may have been forty pounds the entire time I had her. She may not have required certain types of diligence associated with having a months-old puppy. But she's blossomed nonetheless.. and grown from a dog who shut down and ran away at the sight of danger, to one who could successfully complete an Obedience class filled with sights, sounds and smells she's never seen before.

Marge did well tonight. She had temporary lapses in memory regarding sitting (!?!?!) and stand-stays, but at the end of the night all was well. In the little contest we had she was intially tied for first place with another dog (one who I truly DID see grow from a tiny puppy into a beautiful young adult, since I knew him at the shelter before his owners even did), but was beaten when given the command to back-up. She did it, but he did it better.. and that's okay. Just something else I need to work on.

For her prize, she won a large Milkbone coated in that candy-like stuff that freaks me out since it looks like toxic human food. But I guess I'll have to suck it up and give her her reward for a class well performed.

I am so happy I made the decision to enroll her in these classes. We have learned so much and built upon the things we already knew..

sitting, downing, standing, and their respective stays

recalls with mild/moderate distractions

loose leash walking and the beginnings of heeling

becoming more comfortable with people moving around/targeting strangers in exchange for a reward

increased attention

an assortment of parlor tricks -- paw, other paw, BANG!, roll over, take a bow, spin, among others that I'm probably forgetting at this time

It gave Marge something to look forward to every week. For the last few weeks she'd get excited when we'd pull up to the building. I NEED to continue this with her.. it has done her wonders.

Next class focuses on CGC-related topics. Some of it kind of scares me.. I mean, we have the majority of the CGC requirements down pat, but I don't know how far we'll get in 8 weeks in terms of accepting petting and standing for an exam. But I guess all we can do is try.

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About MargeBlog

MargeBlog started in early 2009 as a training journal for my newly adopted, skittish Lab mix, Marge. Marge's world was small back then; her fears really limited the things I could do with her. Aside from trips to the park and attending beginner training classes, Marge was mostly a stay at home gal - not because either of us wanted her to be, just because the demons from her unsuitable upbringing continued to haunt her.

Slowly, the fear diminished, her world grew. Now, Marge is a fun-loving, squirrel-chasing, winning Agility and Rally dog who accompanies me to a wide variety of places. Here, you will frequently find detailed training updates, snippets from Marge's every day life at home, and photo-filled posts detailing our many outdoor adventures.

This is more than just a dog blog - it is an actual look in to what one shelter dog's life ultimately became when she found her first and forever home and began to blossom.

About Marge

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A rescue from Georgia bounced around from shelter to shelter and state to state with her siblings, Marge did not have the luxury of living in a home - my home - until just past her first birthday. A life behind bars had taken its toll on Marge, whose obvious fear of people, noise, and city life in general left a lot for her to learn about how to get by in New York.

Marge is a different dog now than she was back then. It took years of new, positive life experiences, but her fears, which used to consume everything we did, are now only one theme in a great big book of adventures.

These days, Marge enjoys going to training classes, taking trips to agility trials, having play dates with friends, and eating anything that's even remotely edible - not bad for a dog who spent her puppy days in cages.

My time with Marge has been a learning experience for which I am ever grateful. As my first dog, she has taught me and continues to teach me so much more than I ever imagined about dogs, training, and behavioral/fear issues. She's a fun dog with a sense of humor who loves life and learning.